This is a Phase 1 proposal that intends to develop an automated corneal topographer based on the detection of interference patterns generated by monochromatic partially coherent light. The topographer will be accurate to 0.1 diopters and construct topographical maps of the entire cornea at video frame rates. The automated topographer is intended for use during excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The long-term goal of the proposal is to develop additional interactive software based on real-time topography to control corneal photoablation profiles during PRK surgery to fully automate the procedure and provide better refractive outcomes. The novel aspects of this procedure are the concept of using conoscopic holography to form interference fringes originating from the corneal surface and the extraction of topographical information using hybrid opto-electronic methods allowing for very high speed operation.
The design of the corneal topographer is innovative. If successful, the clinical and commercial application has high potential.
